CIHM ICI\/IH Microfiche Collection de Series microfiches (Monographs) (monographies) H Canadian Inatituta for Hittorical MicroraprodHctioni / Institut Canadian da microraproductiona hiatoriqua* 1995 TMhnical and Biblio«r>pliic NolM / Notts Itchniquts «t bibliogriphiqun Th« Instttutt has atttmptad to obtain tht b«st original copy a>ailabla for filming. Ftaturtt of itiii eofiv which may bt bibliograptiically un'i]M«. which may altar any of th< imagas in the reproduction, or which may lignificantlv change tha usual method of filming, art diackad balow. 0 D D Colourtd cowri/ Couvertur* dt coulaur Covtrs damagid/ Couvtrtura Midofnmagit Covtrs rtstOf«d and/or laminilMl/ Couvtrtura rtstaurie tt/ou pellkulte □ Covtr title misstnfl/ Lt titrt dt couvtrtura martqut Colourtd mapi/ Carttf giooraphiquts an coultur Colourtd ink (i.e. othtr than blut or black)/ Enera da coultur (i.t. autra qua Uaut ou noira) D D I 7f Coloured platai and/or illustrationi/ D I Planches et/ou illustrations en coultur Bound with othtr mattrial/ Rtlii avec d'autres documents □ Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliura serrit ptut caustr dt I'ombrt ou dt la distortion It long dt la marge inttritura D Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these htea been omitted from filming/ II te peut que certaines pages blanches aiouties tors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela atait possible, ces pages n'ont pas ati filmies. I /I Additional comments./ Pagination Is as folio V^—i Commentaires supplimentairei; This item is filmed at tha reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmc au taux de reduction indiqui ci-dessous. L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a c ft passible de se procurer. Les ditails de eel exemplaire qui sont peut^tre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite. ou qui peuvent axiger une modif icetion dans la mithoda normale de fibnage sont indiquis ci.dessous. a Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies □ Pages restored end/or laminated/ Pages restauries et/ov nelliculits 0 Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages dacolories. tacheties ou piquees □ Pages detached/ Pages detachies EShowthrough/ Transparence 0 Quality of print varies/ Qualite inigala de I'impression □ Continuous pegination/ Pagination continue □ Includes indexlesi/ Comprend un Ides) index Title on heeder taken from; / Le litre de I'en-Hte provient: □ Title pege of issue Page de litre de la □ Caption of issue/ Titre de depart de le D ! [il-v, 9-306 p issue/ livraison livraison Masthead/ Gtnerique (periodiques) de la livraison lOX ^.^^ 14X r^~n 1«X SX 26 X XX - 1 —J _ 7 — 1 — ~ 1 1 1 ■^"^ 12X 16X »x 2*X 2BX ' ' ^—1 ^—^ Tht copy filmid h«r« ha* b««n raproducad thanki to tha ganaroaity of: National Library of Canada L'axamplaira n\mt fut raproduit grtca t la gAniroait* da: Blbllotheque natlonale du Canada Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha baat quality poaaibia eonaidaring tha condition and lagibiiity of tha original copy an4 in kaaping with tha filming contract apacificationa. Laa imagaa luivantaa ant ttt raproduitas avac la plua grand aoin. compta tanu da la condition ai da la nanata da raxamplaira film*, at »n conformity avac laa conditlona du eontrat da filmaga. Original eopiaa in printad papar covara ara fllmad baginning with tha front eovar and anding on tha laat paga with a printad o' illuatraiad Impraa- aion, or tha back eovar whan appropriata. All othar original eopiaa ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- aion, and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or Illuatratad impraaaion. Laa axamplalraa origlnaux dont la couvartura an papiar aat Imprimta aont fllmia an commancant par la pramiar plat at an tarminant aoit par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'Impraaaion ou d'lllustration, aoit par la lacond plat, aalon la caa. Toua laa autraa axamplalraa origlnaux aont film4a an commancant par la pramitra paga qui comporta una amprainto d'Impraaaion ou d'illuatration at an tarminant par la darnitra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Tha laat racordad frama on aach mieroficha ahall contain tha lymbol — *' (maaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol ▼ (moaning "ENO"l, whichavar applias. Un daa symbolaa auivanta apparaitra sur la darnitra imaga da chaqua mieroficha. salon la caa: la symbola •••»■ signlfia "A SUIVRE". la symbola V aignlfia "FIN". Mapa, plataa. charts, ate, may ba filmad at diffarant raduction ratioa. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly includad in ona axpoaura ara fllmad baginning In tha uppar laft hand eornar, laft to right and top to bonom, aa many framaa aa raquirad. Tha following diagrama illuatraia tha mathod: Laa eartaa, planchas, tablaaux, ate. pauvant itra filmte 1 daa taux da raduction diffaranis. Lorsqua la documant aat trop grand pour itra raproduit an un aaul clicht, il aat flima 1 partir da I'angla aupAriaur gaucha. da gaucha A droita. at da haut an baa. an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nacaaaaira. Laa diagrammas suivants illustrant la mMhoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 MiaoCOfr DESOLUTION TEST CHA«I (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No, 2) 1.0 gi^ 1^ 1.1 f "^ i^ A ^jPPUED irvMGE In (716) 482 -0300 - Phor (716) 288- 59B9 - Fo. IVhite Moll 6^ FrankL. Packard THE WHITE MOLL FRANK t. PACKABD BY FRANK L. PACKARD f THE WHITE MOLL FROM NOW ON THE NIGHT OPERATOR THE ri:RTHER AUVENTURES OP JIMMIE DALE THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMIE DALE THE WIRE DEVILS THE SIN THAT WAS HIS THE BELOVED TRAITOR GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THE MIRACLE MAN i i NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY • i THE \ WHITE MOLL 259791 P^ckhrc^ t COPTBIGHT. 1920, rJT OEORaS H. DORAN CUBIPAWT •OPTBIOBT, 1918-1920, BT BTOBT-PBBOS OOKPOBATtOR PBINTED IN THE DNITED BTATBS OF AtlBBICA CONTENTS I. NWHTIK ran UndeBWOHLD n. Seven— THBEl^— Nine . . [ ® m. Alias Gypsy Nan ^ IV. The Adventobbb ... ^ V. A Second Visitob ** VI. The Rendezvous ^ VII. Fellow Thieves . ^® VIII. The Code Message . . [ ^ IX. Room Number Eleven '"^ X. On the Brink ^^ XI. Some OP THE Lesser Bbeed "^ XII. Cbooks vs. Crooks ^^^ XIII. T^. Door Across ^e Hall .' ." [ [ ' ' [^ XIV. The Lame Man . . • • • 188 XV. In the Council Chamber ^^ XVL The Secret Panel ^^^ XVIL The Silver Sphinx ^ XVin. The Old Shed ^40 XIX. Bread Upon iHE Waters ^' XX. A Lone Hand . . 268 XXI. TmKBCKONmo ^ < 293 THE WHITE MOLL NIGHT IN THE UNDERWORLD rLr.M'^'? '""n ^^^^^"^ pantomime: The dark mouth of an alleyway thrown into murky relief by the rays of a distant street lamp ... the swift forward leap of a skulking figure . . a girl's fonn swaymg and struggling in the min's embrace TheT a pantomime no longer, there came a half threateS half triumphant oath; and then the girl's voice auTrt strangely contained, almost imperious: ' ^ ' Now, give me back that purse, please. Instantly I" ifte man, already retreating into the allevwav paused to fling back a jeering laugh. """V^ay. Say, youse've got yer nerve, ain't youse I" .fJ^^i ^ ^"''^ ^" ^"""^ «° *•>=** the rays of the s reet lamp, faint as they were, fell full upon her di^ doMng a sweet, oval face, out of which the dark eye^ gazed steadily at the man. ^ And suddenly the man leaned forward, staring for an instant, and then his hand went awkwa;dly to fouSJ Dulle^M^'"''" ^°Vu> """""'^'^ deferentially. He sort nfl P'%^ °{^'' "P '^°^" °^" hi" ey" in a S a^d '"'•'' '''^' " *''°"«'' *" avoid recogni! tion, and, steppmg nearer, returned the 9 purse. lO THE WHITE MOLL " 'Scuse me, miss," he said uneasily. "I didn't know it was youse — honest to. Gawd, I didn't! 'Scuse me, miss. Good-night !" For a moment the girl stood there motionless, look- ing down the alleyway after the retreating figure. From somewhere in the distance came the rumble of an elevated train. It drowned out the pound of the man's speeding footsteps; it died away itself — and now there was no other sound. A pucker, strangely wistful, curiously perturbed, came and furrowed her forehead into little wrinkles, and then she turned and walked slowly on along the deserted street. The White Moll! She shook her head a little. The attack had not unnerved her. Why should it? It was simply that the man had not recognized her at first in the darkness. The White Moll here at night in one of the loneliest, as well as one of the most vicious and abandoned, quarters of New York, was as safe and inviolate as — as — She shook her head again. Her mind did not instantly suggest a comparison that seemed wholly adequate. The pucker deepened, but the sensitive, delicately chiseled lips parted now in a smile. Well, she was safer here than anywhere else in the world, that was all. It was the first time that anything like this had happened, and, for the very reason that it was un- precedented, it seemed to stir her memory now, and awaken a dormant train of thought. The White Moll 1 She remembered the first time she had ever been called by that name. It took her back almost three years, and since that time, here in this sordid realm of crime and misery, the name of Rhoda Gray, her own name, her actual identity, seemed to have become lost, obliterated in that of the White Moll. A "dip" had given it to her, and the underworld, quick and NIGHT IN THE UNDERWORLD u trenchant in its "monikers," had instantly ratified it. There was not a crook or denizen of crimeland, prob- ably, who did not know the White Moll; there was, probably, not one to-day who knew, or cared, that she was Rhoda Gray! She went on, traversing block after block, entering a less deserted, though no less unsavory, neighbor- hood. Here, a saloon flung a sudden glow of yellow light athwart the sidewalk as its swinging doors jerked apart; and a form lurched out into the night; there, from a dance-hall came the rattle of a tinny piano, the squeak of a raspy violin, a high-pitched, hectic burst of laughter; while, flanking the street on each side, like interjected inanimate blotches, rows of squalid tenements and cheap, tumble-down frame houses sil- houetted themselves in broken, jagged points against the sky-line. And now and then a man spoke to her his untrained fingers fumbling in clumsy homage at the brim of his hat. How strange a thing memory was I How strange, too, the coincidences that sometimes roused it into activity I It was a man, a thief, just like the man to- night, who had first brought her here into this shadow- land of crime. That was just before her father had died. Her father had been a mining engineer, and, though an American, had been for many years resident in South America as the representative of a large English concern. He had been in ill health for a year down there, when, acting on his physician's advice, he had come to New York for consultation, and she had accompanied him. They had taken a little flat, the engineer had placed himself in the hands of a famous specialist, and an operation had been decided upon. And then, a few days prior to the date set for the operation and before her father, who was still able la THE WHITE MOLL to be about, had entered the hospital, the Bat had been broken into during the early morning hours. The thief, obviously not counting on the engineer's wake- fulness, had been caught red-handed. At first defiant, the man had finally broken down, and had told a miserable story. It was hackneyed possibly, the same story told by a thousand others as a last defense in the hope of inducing leniency through an appeal to pity, but somehow to her that night the story had rung true. Pete McGee, alias the Bussard, the man had said his name was. He couldn't get any work; there •was the shadow of a long abode in Sing Sing that lay upon him as a curse — a job here to-day, his record dis- covered to-moi ow.'and the next day out on the street again. It was very old, very threadbare, that story; there were even the sick wife, the hungry, unclothed children; but to her it had rung true. Her father had not placed the slightest faith in it, and but for her intervention the Bussard would have been incontinently consigned to the mercies of the police. Her face softened suddenly now as she walked along. She remembered well that scene, when, at the end, she had wr.tfn down the address the man had given her. "Father is going to let you go, McGee, because I ask him to," she had said. "And to-morrow morning I will go to this address, and if I find your story is true, as I believe it is, I will see what I can do for you." "It's true, miss, so help me God!" the man had answered brokenly. "Youse come an' see. I'll be dere — an' — an' — God bless youse, miss I" And so they had let the man go free, and her father, with a whimsical, tolerant smile, had shaken his head at her. NIGHT IN THE UNDERWORLD 13 our fnend the Bussard, either I" dr«."*/'!?i""^- '"•""'^ ''°*'' *''« «""ard and the ad- dress, and destitution and a squalor unsDcakahl!. P, Tn 'S r:'„^dTJr"ts"Vor """^ ^'"°"* "-" «rs there caniel.hXin-L^^^^^^^^^^ i£^sra^^rS^rr^ tre'd room? ' '''' "P°" "^ '^''•'y *=°* '" '^^ ''"- "Meet de moll I was teHin' youse about Ma.. The White Moll 1 The firm little chin came suddenly upward- but into S rSe7s"hettd '^^ ' -/^^ fi J^" mS h- k J u "" "^° ''^«=" f°o far undermined and he had been unable to withstand the shoT of £ operation and he had died in the tsS' Th J werent any relatives, except distant ones on her hadtVe^tn'T'^Vr '" ^f^'f-"-. who"m Jhe^ iidu never seen. She and her father had been all in iL?? ?"• '='"""^' P^'^' ^-nrades. s „ce h "r whet •I'f'' """5^ y?" "«°- She had gone evert! »4 THE WHITE MOLL her father s casual business acquaintances; no one die — except the Bussard. It was very strange I Her reward for that one friendly act had come in a manner little expected, and it had come very quickly. She had sought and found a genuine relief from her own sor- row m domg what she could to alleviate the misery in that squalid, one-room home. And then the sphere of her activities had broadened, slowly at first, not through any preconceived intention on her part, but naturally, and as almost an inevitable corollary conse- quent upon her relations with the Bussard and his ill- fortuned family. The Bussard's circle of intimates was amongst those who lay outside the law, those who gambled for their livelihood by staking their wits to win against the toils of the police; and so, more and more, she had come mto close and intimate contact with the criminal element of New York, until to-day, throughout its length and breadth, she was known, and, she had rea- son to believe, v. as loved and trusted by every crook m the underworld. It was a strange eulogy, self-pro- nounced I But it was none the less true. Then, she had been Rhoda Gray; now, even the Bussard, doubt- less, had forgotten her name in the one with which he himself, at that queer baptismal font of crimeland, had chnstened her— the White Moll. It even went further than that. It embraced what might be caUed the entourage of the underworld, the police and the social workers with whom she inevitably came in con- vr^^i ■^**^**' *°°' ^^^ '°"^ ''"'''^" ''*'■ ** ''le White Moll, and had come, since she had volunteered no further information, tacitly to accept her as such and nothing more. ' Again she shook her head. It wasn't altogether a normal life. She was only a woman, with all the NIGHT IN THE UNDERWORLD ,5 aspirationi of a woman, with all the yearning of youth for Its measure of gayety and pleasure. True .hrha! not made a recluse of herself outside her work' hi?» equally, on the other hand, she had not madTan; in" I mate friends in her own station in life. She had Lvlr purposea continuing indefinitely the work .he 1. ^ jng, nor did she now; but, little by little Vh!7/ ^^ small^hLS'l-t^ ^'^ ^''^'"^ ^'^°" *'«= doorway of a 1 occupied a r or" on of the J„ "II'^^"''-'''''''" ^*°« the proprietL^nd hi amif^TteH "'e^t'^'S' rooms on the second floTr to be "ri^.T !"^ 'u' garret above was the abode S G^psy Nan "' ' *'"' |her lay upward Sh. h,^ f ' 'Tr^' '"'* ^'^^ *" "'^k* I y upward. She had found Gypsy Nan last night i6 THE WHITE MOLL huddled in the lower doorway, and apparently m a con- dition that wa» very much the worse for wear. She had stopped and helped the woman upstair* to her garret, whereupon Gypsy Nan, in language far more fervent than elegant, had ordered her to begone, and had slammed the door in her face. Rhoda Gray smiled a little wearily, as, on the sec- ond floor now, she groped her way to the rear, and beean to mount a short, ladderJike flight of steps to the attic. Gypsy Nan's lack of cordiality did not absolve her, Rhoda Gray, from coming back to-night to see how the woman was— to crowd one more visit on her already over-expanded list. She had never had any personal knowledge of Gypsy Nan before, but, in a sense, the woman was no stranger to her. G^sy Nan was a character known far and wide in the under- world as one possessing an insatiable and unquenchable thirst As to who she was, or what she was, or where she got her money for the gin she bought, it was not in the ethics of the Bad Lands to inquire. She was just Gypsy Nan. So that she did not obtrude herself too obviously upon their notice, the police suftered her; so that she gave the underworld no reason for com- plaint, the underworld accepted her at face value as one of its own 1 . ,... i jj . There was no hallway here at the head of the ladder- like stairs, just a sort of narrow platform in front of the attic door. Rhoda Gray, groping out with her hands again, felt for the door, and knocked softly upon it. There was no answer. She knocked again. Still receiving no reply, she tried the door, found it unlocked, and, opening it, stood for an instant on the threshold. A lamp, almost empty, lU-trimmed and smoking badly, stood on a chair beside a cheap iron bed; it threw a duU, yellow glow about its immediate NIGHT IN THE UNDERWORLD 17 vicinity, and threw the remainder ot the garret into deep, impenetrable shadows; but alto it ditcloted the motionless form of a woman on the bed. Rhoda Gray's eyes darkened, as she closed the door behind her, and stepped quickly forward to the bed- side. For a moment she stood looking down at the re- cumbent figure ; at the matted tangle of (;ray-streaked brown hair that straggled across a pil /(v which was none too clean; at the heavy-lensed, old-fashioned, steel-bowed spectacles, awry now, that were still grotesquely perched on the woman's nose; at the sal- low face, streaked with grime and dirt, as though it had not been washed for months; at a hand, as ill-cared for, which lay exposed on the torn blanket that d'd duty for a counterpane; at the dirty shawl that en- veloped the woman's shoulders, and which was tightly fastened around Gypsy Nan's neck— and from the woman her eyes shifted to an empty bottle on the floor that protruded from under the bed. "Nan I" she called sharply; and, stooping over, shook the woman's shoulder. "Nan!" she repeated. There was something about the woman's breathing t that she did not like, something in the queer, pinched condition of the other's face that suddenly frightened her. -'Nan I" she called again. Gypsy Nan opened her eyes, stared for a moment dully, then, m a curiously quick, desperate way, jerked herself up on her elbow. "Youse get t'hell outer here 1" she croaked. "Get I out!" "I am going to," said Rhoda Gray evenly. "And I I m gomg at once." She turned abruptly and walked towar I the door. "I'm going to get a doctor. You've I gone too far this time. Nan, and " "No, youse don't 1" Gypsy Nan's voice rose in 1 8 THE WHITE MOLL t ludden icream. She tat bolt upright in bed, and pulled a revolver out from under the covering*. "You»e don't bring no doctor here I Seel Youie put a finger on dat door, an it won't be de door youM'll „ooutbyl" Rhoda Gray did not move. "Nan, put that revolver down!" the ordered quietly. "You don't know what you are doing." "Don't I?" leered Gypiy Nan. The revolver held, iwaying a little unsteadily, on Rhoda Gray. There wai silence for a moment; then Gypsy Nan spoke again, evidently through dry lips, for she wet them again and again with her tongue: "Say, youse are de White Moll, ain't youse?" "Yes," said Rhoda Gray. Gypsy Nan appeared to ponder this for an mstant. "Well den, come back here an' sit down on de foot of de bed," she commanded finally. Rhoda Gray obeyed without hesitation. There was nothing to do but humor the woman in her present state, a state that seemed one bordering on dehnum and complete collapse. "Nan," she said, "you " "De White Moll I" mumbled Gypsy Nan. "I won- der if de dope dey hands out about youse is all on de level? My Gawd, I wonder if wot dey says is "What do they say?" asked Rhoda Gray gently. Gypsy Nan lay back on her pillow as though her strength, over-taxed, had failed her; her hand, though it still clutched the revolver, seemed to have been dragged down by the weapon's weight, and now rested upon the blanket. "Dey say," said Gypsy Nan slowly, "dat youse knows more on de inside here dan anybody else— NIGHT IN THE UNDERWORLD 19 t'ingi youse got from de ipacert' mollt, an' from de dipt demselvet w'en youie wat lendin' dem a hand; dey lay dere ain't many youie couldn't tend up de river juit by liftin' yer finger, but dat youie're atraight, an' dat youte've kept yer map dosed, an' dat youie're «fe." Rhoda Gray'i dark eyei softened, as she leaned forward and laid a hand gently over the one of Gypsy Nan that held the revolver. "It couldn't be any other way, could it. Nan?" she said simply. "Wot yer after?" demanded Gypsy Nan, with sud- den mockery. "De gun? Well, take it I" She let go her hold of the weapon. "But don't kid yerself da youse're kiddin' me into givin' it to youse because youse have got a pretty smile an' a sweet voice I Savvy? I" — she choked suddenly, and caught at her throat — "I guess youse're de only chance I got— dat'i all." "That's better," said Rhoda Gray encouragingly. "And now you'll let me go and get a doctc, wcn'i you, Nan?" "Wait I" said Gypsy Nan hoarsely. "Youse're de only chance I got. Will youse swear youse won't t'row me down if I tells youse somet'ing? I ain't got no other way. Will youse swear youse'll see me through ?" "Of course. Nan," said Rhoda Gray soothingly. "Of course, I will, Nan. I promise." Gypsy Nan came up on her elbow. "Dat ain't good enough 1" she cried out. "A prom- ise ain't good enough I For Gawd's sake, come across all de way I Swear youse'll keep mum an' see me through 1" "Yes, Nan" — Rhoda Gray's eyes smiled reassur- 20 THE WHITE MOLL But you will be all right again in ance — "I swear it. the morning." "Willi? You think so, do you? Well, I can only say that I wish I did I" Rhoda Gray leaned sharply forward, staring in amazement at the figure on the bed. The woman's voice was the same, it was still hoarse, still heavy, and the words came with painful effort; but the Eng- lish was suddenly perfect now. "Nan, what is it? I don't understand!" she said tensely. "What do you mean?" "You think you know what's the matter with me." There was a curious mockery in the weak voice. "You think I've drunk myself into this state. You think I'm on the verge of the D.T.'s now. That empty bottle under the bed proves it, doesn't it? And any- body around here will tell you that Gypsy Nan has thrown enough empties out of the window there to stock a bottle factory for years, some of them on the flat roof just outside the window, some of them on the roof of the shed below, and some of them down into the yard, just depending on how drunk she was and how far she could throw. And that proves it, too, doesn't it? Well, maybe it does, that's what I did it for; but I never touched the stuff, not a drop of it, from the day I came here. I didn't dare touch it. I had to keep my wits. Last night you thought I was drunk when you found me in the doorway downstairs. I wasn't. I was too sick and weak to get up here. I almost told you then, only I was afraid, and— and I thought that perhaps I'd be all right to-day." "Oh, I didn't know I" Rhoda Gray was on her knees beside the bed. There was no room to question the truth of the woman's words, it was in Gypsy Nan's eyes, in the struggling, labored voice. ^■«|jw- NIGHT IN THE UNDERWORLD 21 Yes. Gypsy Nan clutched at the shawl around her neck, and shivered. "I thought I might be all right to^ay, and that I'd get better. But I didn't And now I ve got about a chance in a hundred. I know. It's my heart." n.-JS' Tu" '"'"'"^ ''"". ^'""'^ ''"«>• ''^^' si"« last night? There was anxiety, perplexity, in Rhoda Grays face. "Why didn't you call some one? Why did you even hold me back a few minutes ago, when you admit yourself that you need immediate medical assistance so badly?" ,/l?.'Ti*7:"-'u'- ^^"y ^''"' "'^ 1''"= g« =» 'hance at all I d finish it for keeps if a doctor came here. :i7l\uVu °f .*•?''. "^^y *''^" ■■" t''" horrible thing they call the 'chair.' Oh, my God, don't you understand that! I've seen pictures of it 1 It's a hor- nble thing— a horrible thing— horrible 1" "Nan"— Rhoda Gray steadied her voice— "you're delirious. You do not know what you are saying There isn t any horrible thing t > frighten you. Not you just lie quietly here. I'll only be a few minutes, ^7T ■ ■ '*°PP^'^ abruptly, as her wrists were suddenly imprisoned in a frantic grip. • i,'i'^°".'J°''* '*'" ^yP^>- Nan was whispering fever- "shly. You swore it! They say the White Moll never snitched. That's the one chance I've got, and 1 m going to take it. I'm not delirious— not yet I wish to God It was nothing more than that! Look!" With a low startled cry, Rhoda Gray was on her S ^yfy Nan was gone. A sweep of the woman's hand, and the spectacles were off, the gray-streaked hair a tangled wig upon the pillow— and Rhoda Gray found herself staring m a numbed sort of way at a dark-haired woman who could not have been more than thirty, but whose face, with its streaks of grime and dirt, looked grotesquely and incongruously old —II— SEVEN— THREB— NIKE FOR a moment neither spoke, then Gypsy Nan broke the silence with a bitter laugh She threw back the bedclothes, and, gripping at the edge of the bed, sat up. «**'*'« .U i*' T^a''^ ^°"'" '^^^ ^°rd» "ttled in her throat. A fleck of blood showed on her Hps. "Well you know nowl You're going to help me, aren't you? R J/r '° ^f*-r.' °^ h"^-get to a hospital!" shoulders."' *™'^ "" '^' °'^"'' "Get back into bed," she said steadily. "Do you want to make yourself worse? You'll kill yourself!" Gypsy Nan pushed her away. "Don't make me use up what little strength I've got left m talking," she cried out piteously, and suddenly wrung her hands together. "I'm wanted by the po' l.ce. If I m caught ,t's-it's that 'chair.' I couldn't have a doctor brought here, could I ? How long would ake? Y " ^ ''^ '^'' ^yP'y Nan was a 11:1 "".' ''' y°" SO and have an ambulance, say come and get me, can I, even with the disguise hidden away? They'd say this is where Gypsy Nan nves There s something queer here. Where is Gypsy Gvn,v ll"' ^^' *° ^'' '^"y ^™'« here-away from Gypsy Nan-don't you understand? It's death one way; maybe it is the other, maybe it'll finish me to get out of here, but it's the only thing left to do I SEVEN-THREE-NINE ^3 thought some one, some one that I could trust nevrr «me fd 7:J' \' '"""^ ^°,-^'y' l-^t-buf no"o" W .'h! u'' ""*y'"' ""'^ '* * t°o l«e, but there's just the one chance, and I've got to take i^' r Rhoda Gray's face had eone a Httip n,v,^^ tl ;^-rn?vt '''11 ''' ^°T'^ ^^^- -"i- -d yet— and yet— She stood there hesitant. There mu,f be some other way I It was not likely even thatX woman had strength enough to walk down the sta'rs world ':!f"'h''. ^''■l"^^ '^'""^^ ^'^ <^°-'= to her if tW world of shadow, but none before like this It the law got the woman it would cost the woman her life tand hesztant before any emergency, no matter whit JortTutr^^'^^ ''■ ''^ '•^^ "-" '^o::-:it standThe^r? V '''•" ^yPfy ^^" ™Pl°^ed. "don't tand there lookmg at me! Can't you understand? n h"" u'if' "J,^°.°"*- ^° y°" ff>i"k I'd have iTved m this filthy hole if there had been any other wav like a dog? Get me my clothes; oh, for God's sake get them, and give me the one chance that's left l" 24 THE WHITE MOLL A queer little smile came to Rhoda Gray's lips, and her shoulders straightened back. "Where are your clothes ?'* she asked. "God bless you I" The tears were suddenly stream- ing down the grimy face, "God bless the White Moll ! It's true 1 It's true — all they said about her !" The woman had lost control of herself. "Nan, keep your nerve I" ordered Rhoda Gray al- most brutally. It was the White Moll in another light now, cool, calm, collected, efficient. Her eyes swept Gypsy Nan. The woman, who had obviously flung herself down on the bed fully dressed the night before, was garbed in coarse, heavy boots, the cheap- est of stockings which were also sadly in need of re- pair, a tattered and crumpled skirt of some rough material, and, previously hidden by the shawl, a soiled, greasy and spotted black blouse. Rhoda Gray's fore- head puckered into a frown. "What about your hands and face — they go with the clothes, don't they?" "It'll wash off," whispered Gypsy Nan. "It's just some stuff I keep in a box — over there — the ceil- ing " Her voice trailed off weakly, then with ?. desperate effort strengthened again. "The door! I forgot the door I It isn't locked 1 Lock the door first I Lock the door I Then you take the candle over there on the washstand, Jind — and I'll show you. You — you get the things while I'm undressing. I — I can help myself that much." Rhoda Gray crossed quickly to the door, turned the key in the lock, and retraced her steps to the wash- stand that stood in the shadows against the wall on the opposite side from the bed, and near the far end of the garret. Here she found the short stub of a candle that was stuck in the mouth of a gin bottle, and i'"^..»,,-_ SEVEN— THREE— NINE 25 matches lying beside it. She lighted the candle, and turned inquiringly to Gypsy Nan. The woman pomted to the end of the garret where the roof sloped sharply down until, at the wall itself, it was scarcely four feet above the floor. • "Go down there. Right to the wall— in the center," instructed Gypsy Nan weaicly. And then, as Rhoda Gray obeyed . "Now push up on that wide board in the ceiling." Rhoda Gray, already in a stooped position, reached up, and pushed at a rough, unplaned board. It swung back without a sound, like a narrow trap-door, until it rested in an upright position against the outer frame of the house, disclosing an aperture through which, by standing erect, Rhoda Gi-ay easily thrust her head and shoulders. She raised the candle then through the opening— and suddenly her dark eyes widened in amazement. It was a hiding place, not only ingenious, but exceed- ingly generous in expanse. As far as one could reach the ceiling metamorphosed itself into a most conven- ient shelf. And it had been well utilized I It held a most astounding collection of things. There was a cashbox, but the cashbox was apparently wholly in- adequate—there must have been thousands of dollars in those piles of banknotes that were stacked beside it! There was a large tin box, the cover off, contain- ing some black, pastelike substance — the "stuff," pre- sumably, that Gypsy Nan used --n her face and hands. There was a bunch of curiously formed keys, several boxes of revolver cartridges, an electric flashlight, and a great quantity of the choicest brands of tinned and bottled fruits and provisions^and a little to one side, evidently kept ready for instant use, a suit of 36 THE WHITE MOLL I i ij 1 i; ill! excellent material underclothing, ,ilk stockings, shoes and hat were neatly piled together h.Aif" r""^ ^°K^ ^^t '^°''''"8 ""'^ '^"t i»fk to the bedside. Gypsy Nan had made little progress in dis- robing. It seemed about all the woman could do to "m° ^^' °^ *''* '°* '""^ *'' upright ",Il!l ''u" *" *'"'? """• N»"'" «*>« "ked tensely; an those things up there— that money ?" Gypsy Nan forced a twisted smile. It means I know how bad I am, or I wouldn't have let you see what you have," she answered heavily. It means that there isn't any other way. Hurry! Get these things off I Get me dressed I" But it took a long time. Gypsy Nan seemed with every moment to grow weaker. The lamp on the chair went out for want of oil. There was only the guttering candle in the gin bottle to give light It threw weird, flickering shadows around the garrei- It seemed to enhance the already deathlike pallor of the woman, as, using the pitcher of water and the basin from the washstand now, Rhoda Gray removed the grime from Gypsy Nan's face and hands. It was done at last— and where there had once been Gypsy Nan, haglike and repulsive, there was now a stylishly, even elegantly, dressed woman of well under middle age The transformation seemed to have acted as a stimulant upon Gypsy Nan. She laughed with nervous hilarity; she even tried valiantlv to put on a pair of new black kid gloves, but, failing in thif, pushed them unsteadily into the pocket of her coat. "I'm— I'm all right," she asserted fiercely, as Rhoda Gray, pausing m the act of gathering up the discarded garments, regarded her anxiously. "Bring me a pack- age of that money after you've put those things away SEVEN— THREE-NINE ^^ —yes, and you'll find a flashlight there. We'll— we'll need It going down the stairs.'' Rhoda Gray made no answer. There was no h-.i at.on now in her actions, as, to the p'e^of dot!"'" blanket, and, returning to the little trapdoor in the ce.mg, hid then, away: but her brain was whirl ng s?ark 'blfn^ h' °^ 'T-^' J^'' "" -adness,"*":; I 4,',."^^r """,', *H' *'''''« *'"'* »he was doing or one in'rvn, M '"^ '^''^- ^°"''"» '"^ ^^an suicide for one ,„ Gypsy Nan's condition to attempt this thins But the woman would certainly die here, too, S RhodTr'"^''/"'''"''^.°"'5^ ^''"^ ^'^^ 'he poTicel aperte a^ain^'f." ""' '^' T°^ "P^^*"' '" *he little 2Ta\ ^ ' throwing the wavering candle-rays around her seemed suddenly to have grown pinched scilre'then^'th ^ "" ' ^""^ P°''" ' ^' -" '" -" science, then, that was gnawing at her— because of the police I Was that it? Well, there was also then another side. Could she turn informer, traL be! obbed and thanked her Maker because she had found some one whom she believed she could trust? That was a hideous and an abominable thing to do I "You swore itl You swore you'd see me Through !"_the words came and rang insistently in her ears. The E "'""n"' ['"''• ^,'*" ''' '" ^^'^' determined lines Mechanically she picked up the flashlight and n pack iW il*tl ''"'"^'"' '°^T^ '"^^ b°"d - the' eil- mg into place, and returned to Gypsy Nan 1 m ready, ,f there is no other way," she said soberly as she watched the other tuck the money aw y i;I u L , r^ '^ y°" ^""^ strong enough, even with what help I can give you, to get down th^e stairs" 28 THE WHITE MOLL and even if you can, I am afraid with all my soul of the consequences to you, and " Gypsy Nan blew out the candle, and staggered to her feet. "There isn't any other way." She leaned heavily on Rhoda Gray's arm. "Can't you see that? Don't you think I know? Haven't you seen enough here to convince you of that? I— I'm just spilling the dice for — for perhaps the last time — but it's the only chance —the only chance. Go on!" she urged tremulously. "Shoot the glim, and get me to the door. And — and, for the love of God, don't make a sound I It's all up if we're seen going out!" The flashlight's ray danced in crazy gyrations as the two figures swayed and crept across the garret. Rhoda Gray unlocked the door, and, as they passed out, locked it again on the outside. "Hide the keyl" whispered Gypsy Nan. "See that crack in the floor under the partition! Slip it in there!" ^ The flashlight guiding her, Rhoda Gray stooped down to where, between the rough attic flooring and the equally rough boarding of the garret partition, there was a narrow space. She pushed the key in out of sight; and then, with her arm around Gypsy Nan's waist, and with the flashlight at cautious intervals wink- ing ahead of her through the darkness, she began to descend the stairs. It was slow work, desperately slow, both because they dared not make the slightest noise, and because, too, as far as strength was concerned, Gypsy Nan was close to the end of her endurance. Down one flight, and then the other, they went, resting at every few steps, leaning back against the wall, black shadows that merged with the blackness around them, the flash- SEVEN— THREE— NINE 39 huf ;77 ""'^ ^° '""''' '"ther," she faltered. "But- but It doesn't matter now we're out of the house it stp^l^r:?^ ^'"' ^°" «•"• — >^ '-•* t;";^; bloufe'!'^' ^"y ^'^ '''PP^d the flashlight inside her "It'I^ul^t m"'" ?" '"■"*'' ^" coming heavily its all right, Nan. I understand." '^^ Ihey walked on a little way ud the Work ^„A *u G^^sy Nan's grasp suddenir^'e^rtod^ auaiDie rou 11 play the game, won't you? You'll -you 11 see me through. That's a good name-as -but-b^^n'^.T"^ Green-that'f alt yT Low Duc— Dut don leave me alone with tiiem— vm, you'll come to the hospital with me, won't yoZ-l!^' ^^Gypsy Nan had collapsed in a heap 'on the side- Rhoda Gray glanced swiftly around her. In the squahd tenement before which she stood th^re wodd be no help of the kind that was needed. There would summon ?'°"V", *'"^ 'T """"^ °^ whiJh she'ou d summon an ambulance. And then her glance rested on a figure far up the block under a stfeet Tam^!! JO THE WHITE MOLL policeman. She bent hurriedly ovdr the proctnte woman, whispered a word of encouragement, and ran in the officer'* direction. As she drew closer to the policeman, she called out to him. He turned and came running toward, and, at he reached her, after a sharp glance into her face, touched his helmet respectfully. "What's wrong with the White Moll to-night?" he asked pleasantly. "There's— there's a woman down there"— Rhoda Gray was breathless from her run— "on the sidewalk. She needs help at once." ''Drunk?" inquired the officer laconically. "No, I'm sure it's anything but that," Rhoda Gray answered quickly. "She appears to be very sick. I think you had better summon an ambulance without delay. "All right!" agreed the officer. "There's a patrol box down there in the direction you came from. We'll have a look at her on the way." He started briskly forward with Rhoda Gray beside him. "Who is she, d'ye know?" he asked. "She said her name was Charlotte Green," Rhoda Gray replied. "That's all she could, or would, say about herself." "Then she ain't a regular around here, or I guess you'd know her I" grunted the policeman. Rhoda Gray made no answer. They reached Gypsy Nan. The officer bent over her, then picked her up and carried her to the tenement doorway. "I guess you're right, all right I She's bad 1 I'll send m a call," he said, and started on the run down the street. Gypsy Nan had lost consciousness. Rhoda Gray SEVEN— THREE— NINE 3, r«!f ?n'l'"f ' °" u ' doorstep, supporting the woman't I '!f'i'*P- ^" ^"^ ''«'' "f »««in '" Brim, hard, •omething menacingly weird, something even uncanny about It all. Perhaps it was because it seemed as though •he could so surely foresee the end. Gypsy Nan would not live through the night. Something told her that. 1 he woman s masquerade, for whatever purpose it had been assumed, was over. "You'll play the game, 7ZT''^- -X"? "/".,'"? ''''""K''?" There seemed something pitifully futile in those words now! 1 he officer returned. "It's all right," he said. 'How's she seem?" Khoda Gray shook her head. A passer-by stopped, asked what was the matter —and lingered curiously. Another, and another, did the same. A little crowd collected.. The officer kept them back. Came then the strident clang of a roiik and the rapid beat of horses' hoofs. A white""«. »he understood very fully nni X '".? ''" T'J ^^' ^°'"" '^» ««!"« quietly now the doctor had said, but if ,h., Rhoda Gra/ she^wodd.'''' ''"""'^" ^'"^ '"'^ "'"■"""^ ^''*' ^"" The minutes dragged along. A quarter of an hour passed. Still another. Midnight came. Fifteen mTn' utes more went by. and then a nurse came out of the room, and. standing by the door, beckoned to Rhoda "She U asking for you," the nurse said. "Please do not stay more than a few minutes. I shall be out! me instantlj •• '^ ''°" "°"" '^' '"«''*"* ''""8'. "11 Rhoda Gray nodded. "I understand." she said. cheTril'^rr.h''""'' '°1'\ ^'^'"^ '•"■ Sh« was smiling cheerily as she crossed the room and bent over Gyps? Bf '^PJ!!^." "retched out her hand. trutJ th!^ bnII^;T" '^'.l^^'P"'